Who Is Running The Show?
May 5th, 2014
The NFL is a copycat league. Look at a few years ago when the Dolphins broke out a Wildcat offense against the Patriots and embarrassed Bill Belicheat in a Miami win.
Soon after, just about every team toyed with the Wildcat, thinking it was the rage of future, even drafting quarterbacks to run the Wildcat like Pat White (who was a miserable bust). It didn’t take long for the Wildcat fad to fade because defenses figured it out.
Now we have the Seahawks, the Super Bowl champions, who have a strong head coach and a savvy front office. If you believe the info coming from Albert Breer of NFL.com, Team Glazer is trying to model its front office after the Seahawks’. Breer’s claim comes via feature about who runs the show for each team.
Who’s really in charge? The model here is close to Seattle’s: a coach with significant on-paper power who isn’t overbearing, and a younger GM who’s allowed to do his job. Smith and Licht hit it off two years ago when Licht interviewed for the Bears opening that eventually went to Phil Emery. And thus far, this match of men with different football backgrounds has worked.
Smith has final say over the 53-man roster, with Licht controlling the draft and free agency. (In essence, the GM has leeway to build the 90-man roster, and then the coach is in charge of chopping it down.) Greenberg gives Licht a strong voice on the contract side, and he’s a big reason why the Bucs’ cap situation has been so healthy in recent years. Stokes, who shares University of Nebraska ties with Licht, has also become influential.
Both Licht and Smith report to the Glazers, with Malcolm’s sons responsible for running many of the day-to-day operations of the team. As is the case in Cleveland and Miami, more organizational change is probable after the draft, with a likelihood existing that another strong personnel voice will be added from the outside.
While the model may be all well and good, for the model to succeed teams need to draft well. It is as simple as that. Seattle has drafted incredibly well the past few years. Whether that is because Pete Carroll had good insight into college prospects, one can only guess.
There are few instances where teams survive long periods of rotten drafts. As Ben Volin of the Boston Globe pointed out recently, only teams who have good quarterbacks can steer their teams through the stormy waters of bad drafts.
May 5th, 2014 at 2:12 pm
I fear the Bucs will never be able to copy any successful team until the Glazers fire themselves. They have shown themselves to be reactionary as opposed to visionary in the way they handle a lot of decisions. I think they are better than Jerry Jones since they are smart enough to realize they aren’t GM material, but no one will mistake them for a Kraft, Allen, Mara, or Rooney.
May 5th, 2014 at 2:23 pm
So the article about the draft gardes through the years doesn’t bode well for lovie and his time with the bears
May 5th, 2014 at 2:38 pm
@ToesOnTheLine
I disagree. We do not truly know to what extent the Glazers involve themselves in the running of the team. Obviously, they choose the coaches and GMs, but beyond that? Not a lot.
I think they ordered a QB be drafted in 2009.
I think they might have done the same this year. But they’ve worked with Lovie before, so they likely trust him more than anyone since Dungy.
May 5th, 2014 at 2:42 pm
And they canned Mike Shula after the 1999 season.
May 5th, 2014 at 2:52 pm
Why all the Glazer hate? They’ve brought me joy since I was a kid.
May 5th, 2014 at 2:54 pm
“controlling the draft” is not the same as choosing the draft picks, joe. I’m sure Jason L will work the “mechanics” of the draft, sure. But It was reported that Lovie “hand picked” his Gm. In addition, the Glazers “instant” hiring of Lovie had all the earmarkings of someone who has been given TOTAL control, (which has also been reported, albeit quietly). Why that bothers some to admit that is what I don’t get. Make no mistake. Every draft pick will be Lovie’s, giving him both future credit or blame.
May 5th, 2014 at 2:56 pm
Not sure how “instant” Lovie’s hiring was. He and the Glazers were rumored to have begun talks in October.
May 5th, 2014 at 3:09 pm
And I believe those October rumors, joe. That’s the reason for the ” ” around instant. If Lovie wasn’t given such a great deal, he most likely would have interviewed with more than just the Texans. My gut tells me the Glazers made sure he didn’t retrun calls from other teams after Coach Schiano was let go by giving him the deal of deals.
May 5th, 2014 at 3:34 pm
I have to agree with Espo. I don’t get all the Glazer hate. Yea, we’ve had a bad run and some bad coaching hires. The most curious hire by the Glazers was Schiano, IMO. And Raheem was said to be the up and coming star. To me they seem to give who they hire the power to carry out their job and provide them with most of the resources they need. They are not responsible for drafting Myron Lewis, or Gaines Adams or Bowers. We have been in this slump for so long partially due to the fact that they tried to stick behind Chucky (the QB expert who never developed q QB) and Bruce Allen (I can’t draft to save my life).
So now, with Lovie, I think they have it right. Lets see.
May 5th, 2014 at 3:40 pm
I like both Licht and Lovie, but of those two, I like Jason Licht more.
I hope they work together well, as they seem to have, so far.
May 5th, 2014 at 4:03 pm
When I said, “has been given TOTAL control”, which I said that had been reported, albeit quietly, I should have said my recollection was a report that Lovie would have say so in the draft as well. That’s what I meant by total control. It’s always possible my memory is playing tricks on me. Regardless, Lovie and Jason’s press conference last week seemed to me that Lovie will have final say so. That is my opinion.
May 5th, 2014 at 4:24 pm
Interesting note, Pete Carroll played music during practice at USC. He does the same thing with the Seahawks. It is a high energy practice that gets a lot accomplished, but also is fun for the players.
Guess who tried this at One Buc, yes Raheem Morris. When the Glazers told him to “keep the locker room light”, music at practice was approved. Then when NSO arrived everything was very serious from inside the building to the practice field. Now its a pleasant peaceful atmosphere. We’ve gone full circle.
May 5th, 2014 at 4:32 pm
I am quite sure Lovie has been given a great deal of autonomy….he would have required that. He probably expressed some desite to make a change at QB (McCown) but not necessarily committ to drafting one this year.
He probably expressed privately to the Glazers what he has claimed publicly….the the path to victory lies in a very strong defense….with adequate offensive weapons.
They bought it….hook, line & sinker….and so should we until it proves itself one way or the other.
May 5th, 2014 at 5:33 pm
It’s not hate towards the Glazers it’s that their father went out and had the balls to hire Dungy back when hiring a black HC was unheard of in the NFL (which was a ballsy move that paid dividends
and then good ole Malcolm had the stones to fire said coach and went all in to get Gruden whatever it took (another bold move that paid dividends). Now look at the moves the sons have made, they caved to fan pressure to fire Gruden shortly after handing him a game ball, they hire Raheem hoping they had an up and coming NFL genius (fail!), they fire him (deservedly) after the team quits on their coach and bring in Schiano hoping he can clean up a pathetic team and become the next Belichick (well the roster was cleaned of loafers and the Bucs had two very good drafts worth of young talent added, but as much as I believe Schiano might end up being a good NFL HC someday, obviously someday isn’t yet). Once again the Glazers cave to fan pressure and prematurely fire another coach and GM this time. Maybe they get it right this time, but I don’t see them having the patience or stones like their dad to go all in for a SB like their dad did. That said it’s their team, so they can run it as they feel best
May 5th, 2014 at 5:50 pm
Bruce had two Division Titles and and three winning seasons during his tenure here.
Hope Licht does that well.
And, if Lovie does as well as Chucky I’ll be pleased also. I’m sure he will.
Go Bucs.
May 5th, 2014 at 6:58 pm
Me too as that means the Bucs hoist the Lombardi again.
May 5th, 2014 at 7:34 pm
This post lost me at “Greenberg gives Licht a strong voice on the contract side, and he’s a big reason why the Bucs’ cap situation has been so healthy in recent years.” Didn’t read another word.
This Albert Breer of NFL.com should know that our GM Licht has only been employed by the buccaners organization since January 2014. With this brilliant piece of information, we can not understand how when Licht was working for the Az Cardinals did he help keep our cap has been in such good shape. Maybe he was moonlichting on the side for us…..
Doubt it
May 5th, 2014 at 11:10 pm
Sounds like someone who is acting like their opinion is fact and didn’t live through the years of Culverhouse ownership.
May 6th, 2014 at 8:41 am
Lovie will take us to the playoffs a few times then get fired. Someone else will come in and take the team that Lovie built to the SB.
stanglassman. Argh. Don’t remind me of Culverhouse.